The scene was set: an 8:45am rendezvous in MC. Red-eyed, dreary, but ready for our pilgrimage to Windscale. Historical ties to the region means that Windscale, despite being based in West Cumbria, play in the Wearside league, meaning an away day consists of a scenic 3-hour drive across the Pennines: the longest trip of the season.

Picked up by a rather suave looking bus driver who had donned the long coat specifically for the game, we were quickly on our way.

Spirits were lifted at our pit stop: a quaint farm shop on the outskirts of Carlisle, where the fresh aroma of manure wafted through the air.

The motto painted on the wall captured our mindset: “Don’t let the fear of losing keep you from playing the game.”

Player of the Match: Chris Seery: a typically dogged performance from the front-man, with a lovely bit of touch to assist Walton for the first goal.

An honourable mention to Oscar Cooke, who was sublime in midfield, and to Oli Greenhow for transporting precious cargo and supporting the lads.

Line-up: Patrick Dixon; Max Nissim (Yellow Card); Freddie Merrett (c); Ellis Challinor; Ben Pearson; Ryan Cook; Alex Dinan; Oscar Cooke; Fred Walton (Goal); Chris Seery; Phil Kay (Goal)

Substitutes: Paddy Harvey